A Munchkin Miracle
by TheLadyHoll
Summary: One shot!Casey thought she'd found the one until John Munch called everything off unexpectedly. It turns out John wasn't the only thing Casey had missed for the last two months!Can he work through his demons in time to find there's a munchkin on the way?
1. Angel in the Doorway

**Hey everybody! I've always thought Munch and Casey would be perfect for each other and I couldn't get this scene out of my head so I'm making it into a one (or two) shot depending on the response I get! Let me know! How many reviews I get decides whether I add a final part :)**

As John Munch drove home from work he made a split second decision, not knowing if he'd wake up in the morning to regret it; although at least the continual questions and what-ifs plaguing his mind would stop.

He'd screwed things up…badly. And he'd hurt someone he cared deeply about in the process. That's what ate at him the most and had kept him from doing this sooner.

God only knows what her reaction would be now, weeks after their last conversation when he'd watched her walk away. He could have called out to her, reached out to pull her back. But he had let her walk away like a coward and a damn fool – now it might be too late to ask for her forgiveness. But the ever-proud Munch would get down on his knees and beg, would sit here in his car all night if he had to.

He pulled over on the street in a little subdivision beside a small red brick home, a small but carefully tended garden coming to life with the emergence of spring. Taking a deep breath he pulled off his glove and knocked on the door.

After a few moments of gut wrenching silence and stillness from inside the house, he heard the lock turn and the door opened, framing the owner's silhouette in a halo-like glow from the lights inside.

"Casey…"

"John…what are you doing here?" Casey had crossed her arms, holding them around herself as if she might break apart. The sight of her looking so small and vulnerable in the doorway tore at Munch so that he couldn't speak for a moment. And when he did, his voice came out husky and pleading.

"May I come in for a sec?"

Casey shrugged, turning away from the door and walked into the living room plopping herself down on the sofa.

Her reddish-blonde hair was loosely braided, she had no make-up on and she was dressed in an old pair of navy blue sweatpants with her favorite faded red Harvard sweater – but John still thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen even as she glared at him from the couch.

He sighed, still standing in the middle of the room. "Nothing I say can make things right – I was an ass, I know that. There are no excuses for the way I acted" he started self consciously.

"But you have to know that I love you Casey. And maybe it's too late for that – but it's the only thing I can offer to you. I'm the only thing I can give you – and I guess I felt that that wasn't enough for you. You deserve so much better Casey".

"I didn't want anything or anyone else, John. I wanted you – I trusted you, with all of me" Casey's voice caught as she spoke, blue eyes glistening with angry tears.

Munch continued, coming closer now his hands held out in supplication as he sat on the footstool next to the couch. "The truth is that I was scared, hell I still am scared. I have never loved anyone like I loved you. My ex-wives were all young, attractive and to tell you the truth for the most part were women I didn't give a damn about. But you're different, Case. You're beautiful and intelligent and kind and giving. I'm old and bitter and cynical and frankly I feel like I don't deserve a shot at love, especially when it had the potential of hurting you. But I did and I'm sorry" his voice broke "I'm so sorry Casey, you'll never know how much".

Casey's eyes widened. "You know don't you? Oh my God and here I thought you were apologizing because of me…How did you find out?"

"Casey, what in the hell are you talking about? What's wrong?" he moved off the footstool and knelt at her feet so that he was level with her head as she buried it in her hands.

"Are you sick? Oh God Casey, tell me. Tell me please, are you sick? Hurt?"

"Please John" Casey was fully crying now. "Please don't lie to me, I couldn't stand it if you were" her shoulders shuddered again and she hugged her knees to her chest.

"The only time I have ever lied to you is when I told you that I didn't love you when I broke it off with you last month. I swear to you I'm not lying or playing games. Casey, tell me. What is it?"

Casey looked up, her eyes swollen and red as she scrutinized his face, "you swear you don't know?"

"Know what? Casey, you're killing me here". John's heart pounded a painful tattoo, he couldn't ever remember feeling so scared as he did now as he knelt before the woman he loved, and had maybe lost.

"I couldn't bear to lose you, Casey. Just tell me what's the matter and I swear I'll get you whatever help or money or doctors you need, but I can't lose you – not again".

Casey unfolded herself, putting her feet back on the floor and uncrossing her arms, looking deep in thought.

Munch was frantic as his mind raced through a thousand different scenarios of what she was going to tell him, but none of those scenarios he pictured even came close to what was about to come out of Casey's mouth.

Casey looked down at John, closing her eyes in preparation for when her heart broke again after she told him.

She took a deep breath, exhaling shakily as she placed a hand on her belly.

"I'm having a baby, John" she spoke in a half whisper, drawing strength from the new firmness she had begun to feel in her lower belly that she knew signified her child's presence inside her.

"What? Casey, you're pregnant?" John stumbled over his words, his heart so full that it fairly flowed out of his mouth in bumbling words.

"You're carrying a baby? My baby?"

"Yes, you stupid wonderful man – yours!" Casey cried, laughing through her tears.

Munch pulled her into his arms, the wetness on his own cheeks mingling with hers as he kissed her, deeply, religiously, possessively.

He drew back again, his hand hovering several inches over her still flat abdomen. He looked up at her, "how are you feeling? Is everything okay? What did the doctor say?"

Casey felt a warm glow seep up her whole body from her toes. Her years as a prosecutor had taught her to be able to tell when someone was lying or not. And no one could fake the reaction John was having, least of all the ever-indifferent man she'd fallen so head over heels in love with.

She reached her hand out to cover his and lead it downwards. Pushing up the hem of her sweater she guided John's hand to rest on her stomach, over the place where deep inside their baby lay silently growing.

John felt Casey bring his hand down. He'd never felt anything so precious as the firm silken warmth of her skin.

She shivered in pleasure as John's calloused fingers first traced and then cradled her belly tenderly.

Casey nodded in response to his other questions, "I'm about 11 weeks along, I have my second doctor's appointment next week where I get to see the baby and hear the heartbeat…I'm feeling okay so far. Tired, and the morning sickness is a drag but that's normal so overall I'm feeling okay. I think part of what was making me so sick was having you be gone" she admitted quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere, Case. I'm going to take care of you" he continued before she had a chance to protest.

"I know you could do this without me, who knows- maybe it would be better if you did. But I want to do it with you; I want to be there so badly. Let me take care of you Casey, I won't let you go through this alone".

"I don't want to do this alone" Casey shook her head, her hair coming out of its loose braid and she kissed him again. "I need you John, I need you so much and so does our baby".

A wide grin split his face, "we're going to have a baby" he whispered conspiratorially.

"Mmhmm" Casey agreed as she snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. "Let's just hope he or she has MY ears" she smiled as her eyes closed.

John smiled wryly as he shifted slightly so he could whisper in her ear.

"Casey, I wasn't being entirely honest. I lied about something else".

Casey's heart sunk into a stone that settled in the pit of her stomach as she lifted her head slowly; not believing what she was hearing.

"I hated that casserole you made".

Casey fell back against him, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Oww" he said, laughing.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again John Munch!"

"Not with your right hook" he agreed. "But for the safety of our unborn child maybe we'll order takeout for the duration of your pregnancy. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds perfect"…

**How many reviews I get decides whether I add a final part :)**


	2. Unexpected Happiness

**Glad you guys liked it! Here's the second and final part :) Xoxo - Please oh please oh please lmk what you think 3**

7 months later…

Casey waddled in the door of the house, one hand planted at the base of her spine and the other supporting her belly as she lowered herself awkwardly onto the couch.

"You" she glared at John. "You did this to me".

John chuckled lightly as he put the grocery bags down in the kitchen and came over to the couch where Casey was awkwardly sprawled.

"The only reason I know I still have feet is because they're swollen and killing me" she griped as John lifted her feet into his lap and started skillfully kneading the arches.

"I found them" he said wryly, ducking as a throw pillow flew past his head.

Late pregnancy had made Casey increasingly volatile, but John had taken it pretty well in stride. She was already coming down off her rant, and after a moment she twisted around to lay her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry" she sniffled, "I know I'm being a bitch, I'm just so ready to have her be here John, I just NEED to have this baby. Ugh, 2 months ago I would have thought you were crazy if you said I'd be literally begging to give birth".

John kissed her forehead, "Soon Case" he rubbed her belly. "Soon…"

And apparently 'soon' came 3 days later around 4 p.m. as Casey stood in front of the refrigerator, swirling a celery stick in the jar of peanut butter she was balancing on her belly.

Her back had been aching even worse than usual, but what got her attention were the intermittent throbbing cramps that gripped her lower belly until it was as hard as a rock.

She let out a low moan, leaning against a shelf in the refrigerator as she massaged away the deep clutching pain.

All of a sudden it was like something had shifted and her belly hung low and heavy and expectant, her pelvis ached and felt pushed apart.

She breathed out raggedly, reaching out for the cordless phone on the counter.

"John? John, the baby's coming. Ooooooh"

"Case? Baby? Are you okay? I'm coming home honey, hold on".

"Hurry" her voice cracked as John rung off.

She shuffled awkwardly into the living room, her hand tracing the wall for support.

Why was she so scared? She'd read all the books, watched a million 'baby story' re-runs on TLC. She and John had even gone to the childbirth classes. She thought she knew what she was in for.

Her mind ran rampant as she mentally berated herself for her weakness and lowered herself carefully onto the couch, still rubbing her belly and trying to take deep even breaths like she'd learned.

As she was sitting down, another contraction came – taking away her breath with it. Crying out, she sunk to the floor instead of the couch, needing the firmer support.

And that's where John found her when he came bursting through the door. "Oh God am I glad to see you" she cried out, tensing and clenching her teeth as she fought through another birth pain.

"Everything's going to be okay, Casey. I'm going to get you to the hospital – can you stand, sweetheart?" he helped Casey to her feet after he put her shoes on for her, something she'd lost the ability to do after her seventh month.

Grabbing the hospital bag they'd packed, John supported Casey as she slowly made her way down the front steps and the driveway into the still-running car.

Two hours later they had been settled into an empty semi-private delivery room and Casey was in the throes of heavy labour.

"Goddamnit, this hurts!" she growled as she rocked on all fours on the bed. John stood at her side, pressing deeply with his thumbs into the small of her back to relieve some of the pressure she was feeling there.

"It'll be over soon Case" John reassured her, but she was too worked up.

"I don't understand. Am I doing something wrong? Why isn't the baby coming?"

"He is baby, he is. You're doing so great, Casey".

"I am?" she whispered tearfully.

"Yes", John came around to the other side of the bed so he could look her in the eyes, "Casey" he shrugged, lost for words. "You're amazing. If it's even possible, which is debatable, I have fallen even more in love with you as I've watched you during this pregnancy. You are going to be, an amazing mother. No kid could be luckier and neither could I. I love you so much Case".

Tears streaming down her face now for all different types of emotions Casey sobbed out "I love you tooooooo" her last word ended on a groan and she leaned her head against John's shoulder as he helped her lie back down.

He brushed her hair back out of her eyes and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"I want this to be oveeeeeerr!"

"Soon Casey I promise, we'll get to see our baby soon. Think about that honey, think about holding our baby".

"I want to hold him in my arms" she sobbed out, exhausted.

Casey was squeezing John's hand relentlessly when suddenly her grip loosened. She shifted a little – short sharp breaths escaping from her mouth as she turned to look at him, her eyes wide with fear and pain and uncertainly.

"Ah-aah, ohh God – Oh God I think I'm pushing. Okay I wanna push"

"Not yet Case, we have to wait for the doctor. Look, look at me honey" John cupped her face gently in his hands, turning it towards him so he could look her in the eyes.

"Breathe Casey, that's it breathe. Remember? Just like we practiced" John kept her focus on him as he breathed with her in the different staccato patterns they'd learnt in Lamaze class.

She dropped her head back, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "I can't do it, I can't".

"Yes you can Casey, I know you can and you know you can" John told her firmly, his gaze unwavering as he looked down at the woman he loved, wishing he could release her from this pain.

Finally the doctor arrived and started to check Casey's progress "Alright, let's see how far we're dilated eh?"

"What – do – you - mean- we? I'm…the one, eurgh, doing – all the – heavy – lifting. Ohhhh" she grimaced as another contraction seemed to flay her open.

"Whoa, will you look at what we have here!" the doctor exclaimed. "We're crowning, I can see the head. Looks like it's show-time kids!"

"Should she be in this much pain, isn't there something you can do? I don't think this is normal. You have to do something for her" John snapped at the doctor, still holding Casey's hand as the nurse lifted her legs into the purple plastic molded stirrups.

"Nothing more I can do at this stage, it's all up to her now" the doctor replied cheerfully, both Munch and Casey looking like they wanted to throttle him.

"Can you see him John?" Casey gasped out as she felt the burning, or 'ring of fire' as they'd heard it described in class, and now Casey knew exactly where that description had come from.

John stepped down to the end of the table; leaning over with one had rubbing Casey's leg soothingly as he looked over the doctor's shoulder.

"I see the head Casey, he's almost here"

Casey nodded tears still running down her cheeks although she was smiling as John came over to her and kissed her.

"Here – reach down Casey, reach down and feel your baby" the nurse encouraged her and Casey brought down her hand in between her legs to feel the top of her baby's head.

"Alright now Casey get him out" the doctor instructed her.

John pressed his lips to her tightly fisted hand as he held it in his while she pushed, straining to deliver the head.

"Heads out" the doctor called, his hands working busily between Casey's legs.

"Keep going Case" John whispered words of encouragement, telling her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her, thanking her for the gift she was giving him.

Breathing raggedly, so exhausted she could barely keep her head up without John's supporting hand, Casey rested a moment.

John thought that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, her hair coming loose and wispy around her face like a fiery halo, bright blue eyes that he prayed to God the baby would inherit, and so sweetly rounded with his child, the child and the love he never thought he'd have.

She screamed into her next push and the next one and the next.

"One more Case, come on honey our baby is almost here, you're going to get to hold your baby so soon".

Casey threw her head back then tucked it to her chin as she used all of her energy to deliver her baby.

Suddenly a soft squalling could be heard and the doctor held the baby up so they could see. "Congratulations guys, you have a son".

John was barely aware of the wetness on his cheeks as he looked at the tiny baby.

"Oh John, he's so beautiful" Casey sobbed, still breathing hard from her last expulsive efforts.

Munch could only nod, barely holding back a sob himself as he took the scissors held out by the nurse and cut the umbilical cord.

The doctor placed the baby on Casey's stomach and she reached out her hands to draw her son close into her arms, trembling as they might be.

"Hi" Casey traced the newborn's features with a finger, still in awe of this new little person who had just been inside of her.

"Hi baby, you're so beautiful. I'm your mommy sweetheart, I'm your mommy".

John sat gingerly on the side of the bed, one arm around Casey as she rested her head on his shoulder and one arm cradling their son under Casey's.

"And I'm your daddy" he whispered, choked with emotion.

"I'm so glad he's here and he's safe and he's perfect" Casey cried as she spoke, this time out of happiness and relief and exhaustion and a million other emotions.

John held their son as the doctors aided an exhausted Casey deliver the placenta and afterbirth.

After she and the baby were cleaned up and moved into a recovery room, John came over to the side of the bed again. Watching adoringly as a tired but blissful Casey nursed their baby for the first time.

"I am so blessed. Thank you Casey, for making me the happiest man alive, something I never thought I would be".

"So what are we going to call this little guy? I know we talked about Michael for a first name" Casey looked up at John, nothing but love shining out of her eyes, radiating out of her very core. "Maybe we could name him Isaac after your father" she suggested quietly.

John nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. It was perfect, the new life of their son to wash away the pain of the loss of his father.

But unlike his father, John knew he would never leave his son. As long as his son was alive he'd do his damnedest to stay on this planet as well.

"Yeah" he agreed. "Now Olivia's texted me about 20 time from out in the waiting room. You feel up to some visitors".

Casey nodded. "Mmhmm, let's let this little guy meet his aunts and uncles".

Before John left to get the others he bent over and kissed his sleeping son's forehead, saying softly "Welcome to the world Michael Isaac Munch, and welcome to the SVU family".

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